The exigence of the plastic waste crisis cannot be overstated. Plastic waste accumulation is largely driven by the chemical recalcitrance of the polymers that most plastics are made from. These polymers cannot be readily depolymerized into their monomeric building blocks, resulting in their poor recyclability which has led to exorbitant plastic accumulation in landfills and in the environment. Chemically recyclable polymers (CRPs) are one of the emerging solutions to this crisis. CRPs can be readily depolymerized into their monomeric building blocks then repolymerized into a new pristine polymer.<i> </i>Plastics made from CRPs can live in a circular economy, effectively eliminating the need for the generation of new plastics. This work focuses, specifically, on the depolymerization of novel trithiolane polymers. This talk will highlight the development of both chemical and thermal methods for poly(trithiolane) depolymerization.

Chemical recycling to monomer: Depolymerization of novel poly(trithiolanes)

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.